Santiago de la Cruz
Santiago de la Cruz (formerly known as Benicio Curtius in life) is the Primera Espada. From his throne in his Grand Cathedral, he commands the Arrancar army. Appearance Santiago is a tall man with piecing indigo eyes. Standing at 6'3", he has messy, dark hair and a distinctive scar that runs across his right eye. The scar itself came from Julius Ceasar himself in a grand battle in which Santiago progressed into an Arrancar. His mask fragment is barely noticeable: a small line of teeth just below his left eye. His robes are the traditional Arrancar white, but resemble a Roman toga in his leisure. When battle comes, he sports a decorative brass breastplate and helmet with leather manica and boots. Personality In accordance with Roman leadership roles, Santiago is a very strict ruler. He plays by the book and has a strong sense of honor that pervades his ruling style, strategy, and dealings with others. Those who have spoken with him note his tact and conversational skills. Among the few he considers his friends, he is quite jovial and convivial. He enjoys drinking wine and hosting feasts when battles are won or monumental achievements have been reached. History When he was alive, Benicio Curtius lived in the hills on a small farm close to the borders of the Roman Empire. Due to his proximity to the armies of the Gauls, he frequently had legions fighting hordes in the surrounding area. One such day, the victorious Romans entered into his farmhouse and accused him of passing troop movements to Gaulic scouts. Despite his protests, he was killed on the spot for treason. Enraged, his soul completely bypassed the usual process of a soul and immediately became a Hollow. He slaughtered the Romans who executed him and escaped into the Gaulic hillside, becoming a mythological creature in their lore. After a few years, he had consumed enough souls to transform into a Gillian and promptly increased the amount of destruction and terror he could reign. Once he evolved into an Adjuchas, he encountered a legion led by then-general Julius Ceasar. Ceasar ordered his troops to attack, and inflicted a seemingly fatal wound across Benicio's eye. He left with his troops before Benicio mutated into an Arrancar. After fully discovering his new power and sentience, Benicio decided to observe the Roman Empire in the waning years of its power. He saw the decadence and over-sexualization of Rome itself and the cruelty and terror that it wrought across its territory. Disgusted, he began to ambush legions whenever he could. In one battle, he annihilated and entire legion by himself and left no survivors. He took the general's armor and began to wear it as a trophy and testament to his power. When Rome collapsed, Benicio saw no point in remaining in the human world. He banished himself to the barren sands of Hueco Mundo to train and rediscover himself. He renamed himself Santiago de la Cruz and spent nearly 2 millenia in isolation. Once he discovered the remains of Las Noches, he took control as Quinta Espada and helped to rebuild and restructure the Arrancar army. Santiago was elected to be the Primera by his fellow Espada and graciously accepted. He now rules from his Grand Cathedral in the center of Las Noches. Plot Coming soon? Powers and Abilities Zanpakutō Peregrini ''(Italian for ''pilgrim) takes the form of a singular Roman pilum. However, instead of one end being coated in an iron tip, both ends are coated for added combat applications. Abilities: *'Cero: '''Santiago's cero is a royal purple, matching the colors of the SPQR. He fires it by holding his arm parallel to the ground with his palm facing down. *'Bala: Santiago's balas match the color of his cero. He fires them from the tip of Peregrini. *'''Gran Rey Cero: Like the other Espada, Santiago has control over the Gran Rey Cero: a more powerful version of the standard cero. He is banned from using it in Las Noches due to its power. *'Revertī:' (Eng. "Return") When Peregrini is thrown, Santiago can return it to his hand with one motion. *'Dele: '(Eng. "Exterminate") While Peregrini is in midair, Santiago can multiply the single pilum into a staggering amount of duplicates. Those few who have faced it in battle compare it to an entire century of soldiers hurling their weapons at once. 'Ressureción: '''Peregrino's release command is '"Crucifigo" '(Eng. "Crucify"). When it is activated, Sanitago's armor grows heavier and stronger to increase his physical strength and defense. His mask fragment grows across the lower half of his face to form another piece of his helmet. Peregrino can only be thrown once in this form, but gains a smaller gladius as a companion. *'Enhanced Durability: 'Due to the augmented strength of his armor, Santiago's defensive abilities are increased. *'Enhanced Physical Strength: 'In addition, his hardened armor strengthens Santiago's unarmed combat ablilites. His punches may be slower, but they have more power. *'Calvariae Locus: '''When Peregrino is thrown, it sticks in the ground and forms an X-shaped cross. The chains on said cross shoot out and grab a target to pull onto it. If the target has a high enough Reiatsu can overpower the chains, but those who cannot overpower it or avoid it are helpless. Santiago enjoys crucifixion, and takes his time as a result. Trivia